National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Monday referred a question concerning the disappearance of pilgrims traveling for Umrah and Ziyarat to the relevant standing committee for further examination.
During Monday’s question hour, Parliamentary Secretary Shamsher Ali Mazari responded to a query raised by MNA Naeema Kishwar Khan, stating that his ministry does not maintain data on individuals undertaking religious pilgrimages.
He clarified that such information, particularly regarding missing Umrah pilgrims, falls under the jurisdiction of immigration authorities.
To address the issue comprehensively, Speaker Sadiq proposed a joint meeting, a suggestion supported by Mazari. The matter was subsequently forwarded to the concerned standing committee for detailed review and follow-up.
The National Assembly referred two bills to the concerned committees for further discussion and deliberation.
The bills included the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Iqbal Academy (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which were tabled by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
The House also witnessed the presentation of three committee reports. These included reports from the Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control.
Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr Nelson Azeem informed the National Assembly that the telemedicine centers will become operational by June 30, 2026.
Responding to a question raised by Zahra Wadood Fatemi during the question hour, Dr. Azeem said that the Regional Blood Center in Islamabad is being outsourced and the process will be completed by December.
He added that although funds were received two years ago, the center has not yet become fully functional. In the meantime, hospitals such as the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic can provide the required blood services.